Corporate Giants Change the Playing Field

Wal-mart, Disney, Hanes, Puma, and JCPenny are all potentially supporting slavery. Dream International is the World's Leading Plush Toy Manufacturer and was awarded "Import Supplier of the Year 2006" by Walmart. The company makes stuffed animals, ride-on toys, and plastic figures. The company exports to Disney, Wal-mart, Universal City Studios, SeaWorld Orlando, K-Mart, Costco, Riteaid, an Build-a-Bear Workshop.

The Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights released a report in 2012  about the conditions experienced by the workers. The report states that workers are paid little over a dollar, work in horrid conditions, and are forced to work overtime. On top of this, the works have production goals of 1,000 pieces and if this is not completed the workers must work overtime without pay until the goal is reached. In other cases, the goal is suddenly changed from 1,000 to 1,500 pieces. The living conditions are also awful. The company dorms are filthy, garage everywhere, overcrowded rooms, and no mattresses. The workers describe the cafeteria food as awful and say there is rarely any meat.

Another example is the Harvest Rich company, who supplies to Hanes, Puma, and Wal-Mart, Target, Reebok, and Motherswork. In 2006, The Institue for Global Labor and Human Rights also released a report about Harvest Rich. The report estimates 200-300 children working at the Harvest Rich plant in Bangladesh. They report beatings, 12-14 hour work days, some all-night 19-20 hour shifts, often working seven days a week, and wages as low as six and a half cents an hour. 

Both cases are examples of trafficking. But what can be done to stop it? A possibility is for large corporations to state that they will no longer import from companies using slave labor. If a huge corporation, such as Walmart, announced that they would only buy from fair-trade companies, I suspect many companies would change their ways in order to keep doing business with one of the largest corporate companies in the world. The Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights suggests that the large corporate companies importing these goods should not stop buying from these factories, instead they should provide wage and education stipends to the children, which will cost less than $70 a month per child. $70 a month per child may seem like a lot, but to a corporate giant it is a doable amount. Large corporate companies have the power to change the forced labor industry.

#SocialMediaActivism

Social media has not only changed the way we interact with one another online, but how we connect with and address major social and political issues. Social media activism has become a staple in our virtual world. Viral campaigns such as the ice bucket challenge, the Occupy Wall Street movement, Kony 2012, and #BringBackOurGirls are examples of just how this kind of activism is taking charge in the millennial generation. However, the amount of attention that these campaigns receive has led to the common misconception that they are vital to these causes, serve as the future of making a difference, and have completely reinvented how we approach activism. Social media activism for causes such as human trafficking serves to promote awareness, however, does not result in significant change on its own. 

In an age in which social media activism is so prevalent, there arises a debate about the extent to which this slacktivism, or clicktavism, can be effective. “Slacktivism” is generally defined as simple, token support for a cause or issue involving very little or no effort on the part of the participant. To a further extent, clicktavism has been coined to be the twenty-first century term for slacktivism taking place through Internet resources. Common examples of clicktivism could be liking a Facebook page, sharing an article, using a trending hashtag, etc. What it really comes down to is the question of whether or not these actions are effecting concrete change. While this is still a widely debated issue, a common consensus is that slacktivism in the digital age is good for spreading awareness. It can be used as a powerful tool to get people involved with a cause where as they might not be otherwise inclined to do so. However, there is a lot of danger with evolving our concept of activism to rely too heavily on the simplicity of slacktivism. At the end of the day, social media and other technology is only a tool to be used as a catalyst for creating change, but it is not effecting the change itself. That is not to say that awareness is useless in addressing these issues. In fact, it is quite a vital component. Awareness of a cause leads to a huge amount of support whether it be financial or attracting the attention of those that can produce large scale change. However, it is necessary to address the limitations that slacktivism and clicktivism have in our society so that they can be appropriately used to support major issues that we are faced with.

Victim Vendetta

The criminalization of human trafficking victims is an issue of great importance and must be dealt with in a sensitive and contentious manner. Forced laborers are oftentimes seen as perpetrators of the same crimes that their trafficker(s) committed, and grouped in alongside of them. When police raid brothels and perform similar sweeps, everyone involved could potentially be in danger of being arrested and prosecuted. The criminalization of many human trafficking victims is often the result of the actions that they inadvertently committed. Although, obviously, these actions are not done consensually, the police repeatedly prosecute victims for actions that were encouraged through forceful and hostile means. Victims often live in fear of the police and other forms of law enforcement, whether that be because of the instillment of fear put in place by their traffickers in order to ensure their loyalty, or simply the knowledge that what they are doing is illegal. Because of this fear of the law, victims of forced labor neglect to reveal what is happening to them. Insensitive arrests by law enforcement can also result in overall mistrust of the police and a lack of cooperation throughout investigations. 

Being arrested, for prostitution for example, can be more than just psychologically scarring. When a victim is arrested for prostitution, or other like charges, it is practically impossible for that individual to become reintegrated into a normal life. Once a victim is prosecuted, it becomes extremely difficult to find safe housing, proper employment, and other essential factors to become a normal, functioning, member of society. 

It is beneficial on both sides of the situation, the law enforcement as well as those being arrested, to be well informed about the conditions under which a situation may be considered trafficking before any actions, such as arrests, take place. The primary cause of the repeated arrests of innocent victims of forced labor is the lack of proper recognition and awareness of human trafficking by law enforcement. Forced laborers are often detained as criminals before they are even able to attest as victims of a far larger crime and situation. Law enforcement agents across the spectrum must become more knowledgable in identifying human trafficking cases. If a situation is not handled properly, the victim could be left in constant fear of endangerment and put in perpetual psychological distress. It is the duty of those who protect the law to ensure that those who are in danger of being trafficked are treated in a just and fair manner. 

Cambodia as an Hub for Sex Trafficking. Maybe.

Cambodia is oft seen as an hub for trafficking, especially when it comes to trafficking in prostitution. This perception is not just present for Cambodia, but for South Asia in general. In fact, in the 1980s, it began circulating in Bangkok, Thailand(a country that trafficked people being smuggled through Cambodia can easily end up) that of 2 million Thai sex workers that existed, 800,000 were under 18. This would indicate about 4% of Thailand’s total population at the time was in the sex trade, with 40% of those in the work definitely being trafficked.

            In Cambodia, though the recent information(or misinformation) circulating is not nearly so outrageous as this false information regarding Thailand, it has recently been said that “there are 80,000-100,000 prostitutes in Cambodia, with 58% being trafficked. The low end estimate for number of ‘sex slaves’ in Cambodia is 40,000”. However, when data put out by Steinfatt and Baker is examined, it is shown that “the number of sex trafficking victims in Cambodia is at most, 1,058, including 127 children, six of whom are under 13.” This data is out of a population of 27,925 sex workers in 2008.

Cambodia Herald

There are problems inherent in all research that targets the informal economy, that is, the off-the-books industries. Additionally, in speaking on trafficking, trafficking for sexual exploitation, though it is much smaller than those trafficked for labour, sex trafficking eclipses other forms of trafficking in terms of the attention it gets. Because of this, one may have to dig deeper when looking for finite figures of non-sex trafficking. For example: it is known that issues like forced begging and construction are a problem in this country, but when compared to sex trafficking issues here it is very difficult to find information regarding finite numerical data, even if flawed, due to the amount of attention given to sex trafficking here. Trafficking is inherently bad, and while attention to a problem is good, to give skew information for the sake of awareness can lead to big problems, as recent events have shown.

Creative Arts Therapy - The Next Big Hit

http://artsaftercare.publishpath.com/

Anthropologists have yet to find a culture, past or present, existing without music. Music likely evolved with speech itself, making us a species with musical elements deeply ingrained within. Even older may be the origin of art, dating back a possible 100,000 years. Clearly the arts in general play a large role in culture and the development of humanity, yet many are unaware of their healing powers. Music therapy has proved itself incredibly effective in helping soldiers cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, so why has its application not been expanded to helping with the physical, mental, and emotional trauma of trafficking? Already types of creative arts therapies have been effective in treating victims of trafficking. If creative arts therapies were more widely implemented in rehabilitation programs for victims of trafficking, it would greatly improve their healing and well being.

A Cambodian aftercare center serving female victims of child commercial sexual exploitation found music and dance therapy to be effective in healing their patients, as well as engaging. They used improvisational, re-creative, compositional, and receptive methods of music experience through songwriting and lyric analysis, listening for relaxation, instrument play, and group dance. Victims of trauma, especially children, often struggle in finding the language needed to communicate their feelings and needs. Music was able to give them a new outlet, using preexisting songs to express their thoughts. Additionally, listening for relaxation helped them learn to manage their bodies and use music to find greater peace.

http://www.theart2healingproject.org

Another aftercare center in the Philippines and their patients, also victims of commercial sexual exploitation, found success in the use of art therapy as part of their rehabilitation program. Creating their own artwork helped empower the girls and women, showing them their abilities to create a product of value. The center, Arts Aftercare, created the “Healing Arts Toolkit”, a set of activities designed to help promote identity development and interpersonal relationships through art, dance, and music.

These two programs have found great success in the use of creative arts therapies in the rehabilitation of victims of trafficking, so why aren’t more facilities utilizing this and offering these services? For many, they are simply unaware that these therapeutic methods exist. All forms of creative arts therapy are relatively new; music and art therapy have only been professional fields since the 1940s, dance therapy since the 1960s. Only in the past several years have musicians, artists, dancers, and therapists realized the need for these services for victims of trafficking. With greater awareness of these therapeutic services will come the expansion of their use, helping to treat as many survivors as possible.

Shrimp Scrutiny

The shrimping industry in Thailand is a seven billion dollar market. Shrimp is the most popular and widely traded food in the world. In 2002, shrimp overtook tuna as the most popular seafood in American house hold and restaurants. The push in the United States and around the world to make healthier food cheaper, eventually leads to the suffering of shrimp factory workers. Shrimp factory employers attempt to save money by employing forced laborers. The laborers are forced to work in squalor for little to no money. “I make 2,000 taka ($30) a month. The rent for my room in Chittagong city, including electrify, comes to 1,500 taka a month. This means I have only 500 taka (7.40) a month to spend on food, clothes, and anything else,” says one worker. Forty-one percent of workers are minors, and forty percent work more than twelve hours per day. Workers were forced to work overtime, and if they missed a quota, they were not paid. They were also incessantly exposed to harsh chemicals, have no access to first aid or health care, and have poor air and water quality. Workers also reported unexplained as well as arbitrary deductions from pay. 

A police raid of a major shrimp processing factory, Ranya Paew, in September of 2006 brought to light the true horrors of the shrimping industry in Thailand. Ranya Paew is described as a fortress with sixteen feet high ceilings with barbed wire caped walls. Here, hundreds of workers are trapped to work in squalor for extended hours, where it was the norm to face physical, emotional, and sexual intimidation and abuse. Women and girls were stripped naked and beaten publicly as a form of discipline. When the police intervened, they spoke with two hundred and eighty workers. Sixty three women and three men were considered trafficked workers and entered shelters. Twenty two migrant workers were deported. Eighty people returned back to work at Ranya Paew. Ranya Paew continues to operate. 

US consumers play a major role in the demand for shrimp. There is very clear and factual evidence of exactly which companies purchase shrimp from forced labor fisheries. Yet, business giants such as Walmart and Costco continue to buy from these companies. Walmart, Costco, Carreour (UK), and Tesco (UK) all import shrimp from companies that use forced labor. This problem would come to an end if people refused to support them and finance the continued use of slave labor. The Thai government also needs to be pressured to prosecute the known employers that hire trafficked employees. The shrimping industry in Thailand at large is guilty of forced labor, but the situation can be remedied because a lot of the issues have already been made known. 

The Editorial Board, . "Slavery and the Shrimp on Your Plate ." The New York Times 21 June 2014 : Web. 10 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/opinion/sunday/thai- seafood-is-contaminated-by-human-trafficking.html?_r=1>.

"The True Cost of Shrimp." The Degradation of Work: Solidarity Center. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://www.shrimpnews.com/PDFsFolder/pubs_True_Cost_of_Shrimp.pdf>.

The Economics of Human Trafficking: Is It Truly Profitable?

 

              The use of forced labor is extremely prevalent in some countries around the world. In such areas, efforts to abolish the use of forced labor face undue resistance because of a belief that the business of human trafficking is simply too profitable. There are many reasons someone would hold such a belief. A victim of trafficking is often forced to labor without the expectation of being paid, a setup that results in almost total profit for the employer. The only costs that need be paid in such a situation are the basic costs of keeping the laborer alive. The profitability of the forced labor trade is also supported by the sheer availability of victims. The cost of buying forced laborers is at the lowest level its ever been. In the American South, the price of an average field hand was between $1000 and $1500, which would be equivalent to about $40,000 in today’s money. Compare this to the fact that the cost to enslave a family of bonded laborers in India can run from as little as $10 to over $100 (depending on how much debt is owed). Additionally, there are more people being forced into labor today than any other time in the history of the world, which means there is no shortage in supply for those who intend to rely on trafficking to further their goals.

              In spite of these reasonings, I argue that that the use of forced labor is ultimately inimical to the economy both locally and on a global scale. While it may be true that forced labor allows an employer to operate a business at a much lower cost, that boon comes with severe drawbacks for local economies. Human trafficking operations mostly take place at the lower end of the production ladder, in industries such as manufacturing and raw material processing. Forced labor jobs in these industries pose intense competition for a worker who isn't being trafficked and is simply trying to make a living. Forced labor also takes potential consumers out of the economy, hurting everyone in the process. Trafficking, by its very nature, causes those who are trafficked to resist by never working as well as they can. There are numerous accounts of former victims of trafficking going on to become very successful. Much can be said on the amount of potential wasted by keeping people in bondage. Indeed, the institution of modern slavery seems to only deaden economic growth by taking jobs, consumers, and possible producers out of the economy.